


How To Adopt a Stormtrooper

by VeryImportantDemon



Series: The Dameron/Organa Family (Now Featuring Finn) [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Finn gets deep about life, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, Force-Sensitive Finn, Force-Sensitive Leia Organa, Force-Sensitive Poe Dameron, Force-Sensitive Shara Bey is implied, Gen, Jedi Finn, Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Training, Leia is Finn's mom, Leia is a great mom, Leia is also Poe's mom, M/M, POV Finn (Star Wars), POV Leia Organa, Poe can sew because he's cool, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rian Johnson can pry force-sensitive Finn out of my cold dead hands, Shara Bey is mentioned, She's everyone's mom, The Leia and Chewie hug that should've happened, Vague descriptions of Force-related things, pls don't kill me for how much I butchered it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-23 20:26:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13197912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeryImportantDemon/pseuds/VeryImportantDemon
Summary: Leia had been through a lot in too short a period of time. She'd found and lost her son. She'd lost Han Solo. But maybe she had a chance to find something.Or: Leia decides she wants to adopt a Stormtrooper but takes a while to figure out just how she plans to do this.Also: Finn decides that he wants to wake up. He just needs help to do this.





	1. How To Adopt a Stormtrooper

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that got away from me. This doesn't have to be read with prior knowledge of the rest of the series, but it does take place in the same series.

Everything was quiet. After everything that had happened that day - losing Han, losing Ben, sending away Rey and Chewie in the Falcon to find Luke - it didn't sound like it should be so quiet. All Leia could really hear was silence. Despite the constant bustle of the base... It was quiet. Leia shook her head slightly, clearing the fuzziness from her mind. The determination to focus again cleared her mind and set her senses right again. She could see, smell, and hear everything. There was a burst of activity, but she welcomed it. This was giving her something to focus on so she didn't dwell on her grief. That would be a recipe for disaster. But what could she do now? Check on her people. She definitely needed to do that. She prided herself on knowing her people, knowing every member of the Rebellion. And she was very concerned about Poe Dameron. The pilot had been at her side when the Falcon had returned, but he'd darted off quickly, chasing after the med staff and Chewbacca, surrounding a form she couldn't make out. Poe, she should check on him. 

It didn't take her long to find Chewbacca. He stood out quite a bit among the ground. "Chewie!" she cried. He was sitting outside the med bay, but luckily since he was outside of it, he wasn't injured. He looked up, clambering to his feet. She rushed towards him and he lumbered towards her, and in no time at all, she was wrapped in his warm arms. His shoulders were hunched as he embraced the much shorter woman, moaning in pain. Leia's heart twisted in her chest again. He was Han's best friend, his brother, for so, so long. She buried her face against his chest, sniffling and trying not to cry again. She had too many people counting on her. "I know," she whispered. "I know... I know." 

They held each other for a very long time, but eventually, they parted. Leia kept one hand on his arm anyways. "Have you seen Poe?" she asked. Chewie blinked at her before growling and gesturing to the door of the medbay behind him. "He's with Finn," she said. Leia squeezed his arm gently before hurrying over to the med bay doors. 

She pushed her way through easily, searching the room for Finn and Poe. A sinking thought fell down her heart. The crowd surrounding an injured person... Finn. Who else could it have been? How could she have forgotten him? "Oh, no," she whispered. She had to find him. It didn't take her long to locate the two because Poe was still dressed in his bright orange flight suit. He stuck out against the stark white of the med bay. She crossed the room and her heart clenched tightly again. It was Finn. He was on his back, arranged neatly on the bed, dressed in white. She didn't like the parallels the outfit choice offered, but she held her tongue. She had bigger things to deal with. She had half a mind to ask Poe until she realized he was asleep. He was sitting on the ground next to Finn's bed, his back against the wall and his legs sprawled out in front of him. Poe's head was rolled to one side and he was sound asleep. "Oh, Shara," she said softly, sighing. There was a disturbance just over her shoulder, like someone standing right next to her had breathed moving the air ever so slightly. But it wasn't the air at all, and Leia knew that well enough. "What am I going to do with him?" Leia said quietly, shaking her head. The Force moved around her again and she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder before it disappeared. 

There was a loud, energetic beeping getting louder from behind her. Leia turned on her heel to find the source of the persistent beeps, and wasn't surprised to find BB-8. "He's asleep!" she said, crouching down to hear him better. BB-8 worriedly kept beeping, his binary so fast she almost couldn't keep up. "BeeBee, slow down," she urged. "What happened to Finn?" BB-8's frantic beeping didn't stop. They rolled around anxiously in front of her, but luckily they were speaking slow enough she could actually hear what they were saying.  _Friend-Rey told Wookie on the ship! Friend-Finn was fighting Kylo Ren with a lightsaber!! Kylo Ren hurt Friend-Finn with his lightsaber! And he made Friend-Finn sleep! Friend-Rey fought Kylo Ren before she came back for him! Oh, Friend-Poe is so upset! He is so upset that Friend-Finn is hurt! They will help him, yes, Organa-Mother?! I do not like it when Frind-Poe is upset, I do not like it at all!_

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Leia smiled faintly. BB-8 did care about their master a lot. But the subject matter they chattered about concerned her a lot more. Finn had been struck by a lightsaber. Lightsaber wounds were not easy to come back from. He shouldn't even still be alive... But he was. Asleep, like BB-8 put it, but alive. And her son had done it... But that was too much to think about. She needed to focus on the more pressing matter - the boys she had in front of her. "Of course, BeeBee," Leia told the anxious droid, patting his side. "They'll fix him." The truth was she did know. Sure, they could fix the physical wound. But lightsabers were Force weapons, and Force weapons didn't just leave physical wounds. When she'd met Finn, even in that tight, crowded room, she could feel it. She could feel the Force deep inside him, like he'd suppressed it without even knowing it was there. She had confidence that he would be able to survive it, but he was going to need help. Help she hoped she'd be able to give him. 

 _Are you sure, Organa-Mother?!_ BB-8 beeped erratically. Leia placed her hand on their head. "Yes," she whispered. "BeeBee, I'm positive. We'll do everything we can to help him, alright? And I'll take care of Poe, too." BB-8 beeped again, satisfied with that. "Now, why don't you go charge, hm? Let Poe sleep. I'll make sure someone lets you know when we have more information on Finn." BB-8 also seemed to be satisfied with that, too. They finally rolled out of the med bay, heading for Poe's quarters. 

Leia braced her hands on her knees before rising into an upright position. She crossed to Finn's bed, the side opposite the one where Poe was fast asleep. She hesitated a little when she reached out, wanting to touch Finn's hand but not being sure. She thought she could help him... She knew he was Force-sensitive, and if this worked... Leia very much would've liked to have asked Finn for permission before she did this, but if he died, she would never forgive herself. She had to help him. 

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and reached out. Her fingers brushed against the back of Finn's hand, her pale nails barely scraping his skin. It was very, very easy to feel the Force within him. And all she needed to do was forge this bond with him and she could help him help himself. "Come on," she whispered to herself. She had never used the Force like this, and she hadn't deliberately used it at all in so long. Even though her eyes were closed, she felt a rush of air around her ears and she saw him. 

Finn was standing in front of her, his eyes wide, looking confused. He locked eyes with her and sighed grateful. "General Organa," he said. "I can't believe you're here. I have no idea what's going on! Kylo Ren hit me with the lightsaber in the forest, and I..." He faltered, trailing off and shaking his head. "I thought I was a goner. What happened?" Leia hesitated before she spoke. "You're still unconscious, Finn," she said. Finn opened his mouth but closed it again. He frowned as if he had just realized he could see nothing but Leia Organa. "I don't... Than how am I..." He trailed off again, shaking his head. Leia took a step forward, but the distance between her and Finn wasn't closed at all. "Ren, he..." Leia's throat closed up but she forced herself to go on. "Ren did hit you with a saber. But Force weapons means Force wounds, and those aren't as easy to heal." Finn's brows furrowed. "Force wounds?" he said. "I don't..." He still didn't understand entirely, and Leia could tell. But that was why she was here. 

"You need to use the Force to save yourself," she said. "I forged this connection so I could help you, but I can't do it for you, Finn. You need to do this." Finn spoke again, shifting his weight slightly. "I can't use the Force," he told her, and he sounded like he really believed it. "I'm a  _Stormtrooper,_ General. There's no way I can have the Force. That's something only Jedi have." Leia cracked the faintest smile before she spoke, echoing something she'd heard her brother say long ago. "Amazing," she said. "Every word in that sentence was wrong. It isn't just Jedi that have the Force, Finn. I felt it in you the first time we met. You've been suppressing it your whole life without knowing you ever had it. Your training made you believe there was no way you could have it, so it didn't surface. You were scared to be different." Finn's eyes dropped, glazing over a little, and she knew she'd hit the nail on the head. 

"But I could feel it in you," Leia continued. "I'm not a Skywalker for nothing. You have it and you need to use it to wake up. If you can't..." Leia shook her head slightly. "Then you'll sink so far I don't know if you'll ever come out." Finn knotted his hands together, his breathing getting heavier. "I don't know what to do," he said desperately. "I don't know what to do. General, I don't know if I can do this! I don't know how to use the Force!" Leia shook her head slightly, sighing. "I'm so sorry," she said. "i'm sorry I had to dump all of this on you. I can't really tell you how to do this. It's... New territory for me. I'll try to help you as much as I can, but Finn..." She finally bridged to distance and the young man looked into her eyes. She could see the person reflected in those eyes - a boy who was scared enough he wanted to run but brave enough to stay. A boy who was brave enough to do this. "You can do this," she said, and she cupped his cheeks in her hands and planted a kiss on his forehead. 

She broke the kiss when a voice called her name that wasn't Finn's. "General?" She opened her eyes and it wasn't Finn who greeted her but Poe Dameron, looking sleepy, rumpled, and confused. Her hand was still resting on top of Finn's and she drew it away. "Yes, flyboy?" Poe cracked a weak smile at the nickname. "I wasn't expecting you. What are you doing here?" Leia shrugged slightly. "I figured I should come check up on you two. BeeBee was frantic, so I sent them back to your room." Poe nodded, running his hand through his tangled hair and sighing. "General, do you know if-" Leia cut him off. "I'm not a general now," she said. "Now, I'm your friend." Poe restarted again. "Lei, do you know if he'll be okay? I fell asleep before they told me anything..." 

Leia hesitated, wrestling silently with the prospect of telling him. It was a lot to handle, as evidenced by her discussion with Finn, and she didn't want to drop too much onto Poe. It had been a very busy day for all of them. "Go take a shower," she said. "You smell like dung. We'll talk later. He'll be fine." Poe nodded slightly. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "I'll... I'll do that." He glanced beside her at Finn. He leaned over and patted the back of Finn's hand. "I'll be back, buddy," he said, his voice low, and it brought a smile to Leia's face. 

Leia made sure Poe's shower happened, but she didn't doubt in the slightest that as soon as he'd showered, eaten, and done a check of his x-wing, he'd be right back at Finn's side, somewhere Leia wished to be, too. She wanted to help Finn. She really did. She had absolutely know idea how long it would take him to bring himself back, if he even could at all. She very much hoped that he could. She felt a strong responsibility to the young man. 

For three days, nothing happened. Finn didn't stir. Despite the workload she had running the entire Resistance, she made time every day to visit Finn. Even with the visits, there was nothing for three days. But on the third night, something happened. Leia had finally fallen asleep very early in the morning. She typically dreamed, so she wasn't too surprised about that. What did surprise her was the dream itself. It was Finn. It was a lot like when she'd reached out to him through the bond she'd forged. He was standing in front of her, reaching out to her. "General!" he said, but his voice wasn't as strong as it had been then. He tried to walk closer, but the distance didn't close. "Finn," she said, starting towards him. But she didn't move either, even when he started to get closer. They were a few yards apart when Leia woke up with a start. She spent hours in the med bay with him after that, but she didn't reach out into the bond again. Reaching out to her like that must've taken a large toll on him and she didn't want to drain him more by connecting with him. But nothing else happened. 

And nothing kept happening. It was nearing two weeks since the dream, and nothing continued to happen. Leia went to check on Finn and found Poe there. That was not surprising at all. What was surprising was that he had a tattered flight jacket draped across his lap and he was sewing up a massive gash in it. "Flyboy," she said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall with a smile. "You know, there are droids for that. Where'd you learn to sew anyway?" 

Poe looked up from his project, smiling faintly. "Ah, my dad," he said. "Mom taught me to fly, Dad taught me to sew. He didn't want me to have to totally rely on droids." He shrugged and completed another stitch. "They were about to throw out all of Finn's stuff," he explained. "I couldn't let them get rid of the jacket, so I decided I'd fix it for him so he has something nice to wear when he wakes up." Leia couldn't help but smile at the hopelessly romantic gesture. 

"You know, it's weird," Poe said, his tongue between his teeth. "I dreamed about Finn last time." His cheeks flushed a slightly darker shade of pink as he realized the implications of that statement. "Not like that," he said hurriedly. Leia snorted once. "Get your head out of the gutter, Dameron," she said. Poe shook his head slightly and continued. "He looked just like he does now. Wearing white and everything. He acted like he was trying to reach out to me, trying to talk to me, but he couldn't do anything. And he looked really far away, kinda blue." Leia went quiet after Poe's story. It sounded a lot like the dream she'd had, just that in her dream, Finn had been a lot clearer and he'd actually spoken to her. "Huh," she said finally. She crossed the room and took a seat next to Finn, watching Poe sew and Finn sleep. 

She waited until Poe left that night to try and reach out to him again. Maybe he did need a little help, someone who knew their way around the Force a little better. Leia pulled her chair closer to Finn's bed. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and touched his hand again. 

Immediately, she saw Finn. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw her. "General," she said. "I've been trying. I managed to get a hold of you, but I couldn't hold it very long. And I managed to get to Poe, too. I was trying to reach you, but I saw him instead." Leia nodded slightly. "Okay," she said. "Okay. Finn, it's been almost 3 weeks." Finn's eyes widened slightly. "3 weeks?" he yelped. "It feels like it's been hours..." 

Leia shook her head again. "I don't like that it's been so long," she said. "I know you're new at this, but I'm going to help you as much as I can. I'll... I'll reach out to try to help you, but you have to take my hand. You have to pull yourself out with me." Finn nodded, the look on his face suddenly serious. "Yes, ma'am," he said seriously. "Leia," she said. "We have a Force bond. I think you can call me Leia." Finn cracked a weak smile. Leia waited another few moments before she spoke again. "Are you ready?" she said. "I know you haven't had much time to learn, but the fact that you managed to get to me through the bond when I was all the way across the base and reach Poe even without the bond... I think we might be able to do this." Finn nodded again, swallowing hard. "Yes, m- Leia," he corrected. "Yes, Leia. Let's do it." 

Leia nodded again, and she reached out to take his hand. Finn stretched forward, too, and their hands touched. She locked their fingers together and he squeezed her hand back. But when she pulled, she was immediately snapped back into the med bay. She frowned deeply, concerned at having been removed so abruptly. She squeezed Finn's hand that was still in hers, but he didn't move at all. Not even an inch. 

Angrily, she pushed back her chair and stood up, swearing. Not him. She would not lose another one. Not today or any day. 

"Uh... General?" 

Leia flinched, spining around. She relaxed when she realized it was just Poe holding the mended jacket. It wasn't perfect and the sewing job was still visible, but it was whole. "Yes," she said. "Yes, I'm sorry, Poe, did you need something?" Poe hesitated, shaking his head slightly, squeezing the jacket. "I was coming to give this to him since I finished it early - couldn't sleep - but then I saw you there, holding his hand. You were quiet for a really long time..." Leia sighed, running her fingers through her hair. Her buns had started coming loose and she tugged a few strands loose in her frustration. "I was trying to help him," she said truthfully. "I thought I could use the Force to bring him out of the coma. But I don't..." She huffed angrily. "He hasn't had enough time to get stronger, and I'm not strong enough to bridge the gap yet. But I don't want to wait. I don't know what would happen if he's asleep much longer." 

Poe approached her, but he hadn't spoken yet. He stopped next to Finn's bed and draped the newly mended jacket over his chest. "I really want him to wake up," Poe said finally, not looking at Leia. But Leia was watching him. He was so gently with Finn when he arranged the jacket, so careful. And the love in his eyes gave her an idea. "Poe," she said slowly, "did you have that dream again? The one with Finn?" Poe hesitated, nodding slowly. "Yeah," he said. "Last night, actually. I woke up from it and I couldn't get back to sleep. He was clearer this time and he said my name. Just Poe. And he tried to touch me but he couldn't get close enough." 

Leia placed a hand on Poe's shoulder. "Poe," she said seriously, looking into his eyes. "I think I can save him, but I'll need your help." Poe nodded eagerly. "Of course," he said. "Ma'am, I'll do anything to help him." Leia nodded again. "It's not a very solid plan," she admitted. "But if he was able to reach out to both of us, if we're both right here... Maybe between the two of us, with his help, we'll be able to get him out." Poe blinked slowly, like he was trying to absorb the plan. "Uh... Yeah," he said. "Yeah. Let's do that." Leia crossed to the other side of Finn's bed. "Stand next to him, right there," Leia ordered. Poe obeyed instantly. "Hold his hand." Poe reached down, weaving his fingers through Finn's squeezing gently. Leia gently placed one of her hands on top of Finn's before she held out her other hand for Poe. She touched his shoulder next. 

"Close your eyes," Leia said, and Poe obeyed again. "Take a deep breath." She could hear Poe breath deeply beside him. "You know how to use the Force even if you've never done it intentionally," she said. "Do what you do when you're flying. Reach out to your surroundings. You can see everything. You can control nothing, but you are everything. Except everything is Finn." She heard him take another deep breath, and then she took one of her own.

When she opened her eyes again, there was Finn. Once again, no surroundings. But instead of just her and Finn, Poe was there, too. Fin's face split into a grin when he saw them, even if he looked exhausted. "You're here," he said, beaming at both of them. "Of course we're here, buddy," Poe said. "And General Organa brought the cavalry this time." Leia rolled her eyes, smiling slightly. She held out a hand and Poe mirrored her action. Finn stepped forward, his hands outstretched, and this time when Leia pulled against him, she wasn't alone. Finn and Poe came with her. 

She gasped softly when she opened her eyes. She was back in the med bay, of course, but beneath her, Finn was opening his, too. "Finn!" Poe cried. Tears pricked the corners of Leia's eyes. "Finn," she said quietly, shaking her head and beaming. She squeezed his hand again, and this time, he squeezed it back. 

Poe threw himself forward, wrapping his arms around Finn. Leia couldn't see Finn's face because he was squeezing Poe so tightly, his face buried in Poe's shoulder. "Finn," Poe whispered. "You're alive." 

"Yeah, buddy," Finn said back. "I'm alive." 

The two held each other for a long time, but eventually, they pulled away. "Nice to see you again," Leia said with a smile. Finn smiled tiredly back at her, his other hand still tight in Poe's. "Thank you, Leia," he said seriously. "I didn't... I didn't know who I was. What I could do. I wouldn't even have known I could've done it without you." Leia nodded again, touching Poe's shoulder gently. "You're very welcome," she said. "But I couldn't have done it without you and Poe."

She missed Finn's next dazzling smile when she turned slightly to greet whoever was at the door. "Oh, dear!" C-3PO cried. "I heard voices in here, and it was very early! I thought I would come investigate. General, what has happened?" Leia smiled brightly, squeezing Finn's hand before she stepped away from him to address the droid. "Mr. Organa woke up," she said. "Mr. Organa?" C-3PO, Finn, and Poe all said in confusion at the same time. Leia shrugged and glanced back at Finn. "I didn't think you had a surname," she said. "And since you have a family, I figured it was appropriate to have one. If that's alright with you."

Leia didn't know she could see someone smile that wide until she saw Finn smile then. "That's great with me," he said.  
 


	2. How To Get Adopted By a Resistance General and a Ghost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna do Finn's POV this soon, I said  
> Maybe later, I said  
> These are all going to be one-shots, I said  
> Believe it or not, there is the smallest element of plot brought up. Not too much, just things that will come up again later.

Everything was loud. All Finn knew was the adrenaline pumping through his veins, mixing with the blood, the lightsaber clutched in his hands, and the noises. The wind rustling the leaves of the trees. His own heartbeat. Blood rushing in his ears. Kylo Ren's lightsaber humming. The one he held tightly to vibrating ever so slightly under his hands. He could see and hear everything. Everything... And it was so loud. But the loudest was definitely the lightsaber.  

The only lightsaber he'd ever seen in person had been Kylo Ren's. And now, here he was, clutching one. Fighting one. It felt so different, fighting with a lightsaber. The only weapon he'd ever really used was the standard-issue Stormtrooper blaster. This new thing felt so different, but it felt right, too. Something deep inside him that he never knew he had flickered and the beast raised its head, eyes never crusted shut from sleeping so long. Something inside him wanted this lightsaber, wanted to fight. But Finn ignored the feeling, pressing it back down. The feeling wasn't the reason he was fighting. The reason he was fighting was his best friend. The reason he was fighting was Rey. He could hear her, too. The girl he'd ran straight into on Jakku. The girl who didn't care who he was. The girl who believed he was good. The girl who convinced him to stay. The girl who believed in him... Finn very firmly believed that he'd done three good things in his life. One of those was escaping the First Order's iron fist with Poe Dameron. Another was meeting Rey. The third was not firing that day in the village. No matter what Kylo Ren did to him, well... If he saved Rey now, then he could say he'd done four good things. And Rey was definitely worth all of those things.  

So, Finn squeezed the lightsaber tighter, and he fought. 

It felt almost natural, he would've thought, had he enough spare brain power to think about anything but the fight. He felt like he was meant to use one of these things. But as natural as it felt, the weight easy and balanced in his hands, despite the conviction coursing through his veins because only saving Poe and being with Rey ever felt as right as defending them against this dark feeling trying to press against his chest... He was new. He'd handled one of these once before, and he was too spooked then to do much with it. He was new and Kylo Ren was so much more experienced, and the saber flew out of his hand. Instinctively, Finn turned towards where it fell, reaching for it. He just barely raised his hands, something like electricity sparking in his fingers, a pull reaching out towards it, the tie was severed. The red saber sliced through the air and sliced through Finn. He could feel a pull, that pull that he felt when he tried to take the saber back, and, for a split second, he thought he heard a man screaming  _no!_ layered under Rey's cry, but then he wasn't feeling anything at all.  

He didn't feel anything at all until he did. Finn wasn't sure what brought him back but suddenly, there he was. He felt trapped. Like he couldn't move. Like something invisible was holding him down, and not just any something. It felt like a hand on his back, and then he heard the voice again, the one he thought he heard crying out in the forest. It was nothing but unintelligible muttering, but the voice was there in the darkness Finn was trapped in. "I'm sorry," he finally deciphered. "I tried... I tried. I wanted to save him... I wanted to save him." Who did the voice want to save? And who was the voice? Why was he with Finn? And where was Finn? He had so many questions and he couldn't formulate any of them. The voice stopped its incoherent muttering suddenly and Finn's heart tightened in fear. He didn't want to be alone in this blackness. He was terrified of the dark.  

"Quiet," the man's voice said. "Quiet, child." Finn wanted to say that he hadn't said a word, but he couldn't make words. He was still frozen. Stuck. The voice didn't speak anymore, but Finn felt a sudden shift of... Well, he couldn't exactly describe it. It felt like the very blackness around him was shifting and bending. "Stay here. Just... Stay here. She will come for you." The voice sounded sad when he said 'she'. Finn wanted to scream. Who was she, and where would she even go to come for him? He had absolutely no idea what was going on. But something about the voice calmed him. "She will come for you," the voice said again. "I'm sorry."  

The voice went quiet again and Finn felt that shifting again. This time, however, he caught sight of something blue out of the corner of his eye. He struggled to look, and he was rewarded with the tail end of a dark brown cape before it disappeared.  

Finn wasn't left alone forever. Or maybe it was forever. He wasn't sure how time passed where he was. He cried out until he couldn't cry out anymore, until he stopped making noise at all. But he wasn't left alone for too long because eventually, he felt something. It was that same sensation, that invisible force pulling at him as everything around him shifted and bent. A voice in the distance. Rey's. It made him smile even if he couldn't make out what she was saying. Then he felt warm, cared for, because it felt... And he had to be making this up, but it felt like she was kissing him on the forehead. Then the blackness shifted and tugged at his being and the feeling of the kiss disappeared. 

Despondency filled everything he had left and he wanted to cry again. He felt so trapped in here. He couldn't feel, couldn't do anything but think. He was alone with his thoughts, alone enough to wonder if he was dying. Then he wasn't alone in his darkness because Leia was there. General Leia Organa.  

He could've cried in relief. she looked almost exactly the same as the last time he'd seen her if a little more haggard and worn and war-weary. It was as if the presence of another person had unstuck his tongue. "General Organa," he said, his entire being fluttering with relief. There was so much he wanted to ask her. He wanted to ask about the voice he'd heard speaking to him and where he was and how was she here and... He had so many questions that he forgot every one of them. His mind was spinning so fast he grabbed for the first thing he could to blurt at her. "I can't believe you're here," he said, and he really couldn't. "I have no idea what's going on! Kylo Ren hit me with the lightsaber in the forest, and I..." Finn's voice trailed off and he shook his head. It was odd. The longer he was here, and now that General Organa was here... He started becoming more aware of himself. He felt more present, like he was actually alive and not stuck in that terrible limbo. "I thought I was a goner," he added finally, and that definitely wasn't a lie. He had thought he was dead. What else could this endless inky blackness be but death?  

"You're still unconscious, Finn," General Organa said, and she looked... Sad. She looked very sad. "I don't... Then how am I..." Finn stuttered and stammered, tripping over his words. Unconscious. So, he wasn't dead. But if he was unconscious, how was she here with him? And who was the voice? Leia started to speak again, stumbling over the name Ren, but he didn't push her on it. She got even sadder when she said it, her eyes softening like they had seen far too many years. But then she started talking, talking about lightsabers and the Force and-  

The  _Force_. That was it. That was the mysterious pulling and shifting that he felt, that tingle in his fingers when he reached for the lightsaber in the forest. That was the Force. But that didn't make any sense at all. The Force? Finn couldn't have the Force. It just wasn't possible. He wasn't a Jedi like Rey or the infamous Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader. He was just a kid stolen from his family when he was too younger to remember them. He was just a Stormtrooper. So, he told her so. And General Organa... She smiled at him, actually smiled, and her sad eyes got a little less sad. "Every word in that sentence was wrong," she told him with that slight wry grin of hers, and then she proceeded to tell him a story that was all too accurate. And then she told him... She told him that he had to use the Force to wake up or he would stay here forever. 

Finn's heart started beating fast in his chest. Too fast. His breathing quickening and he knotted his fingers together and he could already feel himself starting to sweat. Just like when he panicked and he needed to remove his helmet and he needed to get air because he couldn't breathe. But he couldn't get air and he couldn't breathe because he wasn't even awake! "I don't know what to do," he said desperately, looking up at the General, his eyes reflecting how afraid he actually was. He didn't want to stay in the dark forever. But he didn't even know how to use the Force! He was terrified he'd never figure it out and he'd be stuck here forever. He'd never see Rey again, never see Poe again... "I don't know what to do. General, I don't know if I can do this! I don't know how to use the Force!" He was panicking and he felt awful for it, but the General's presence was very helpful in calming him down. She apologized and then she finally bridged the gap between them. He felt like he was about to cry when she cupped his cheeks in her hands and pressed a kiss to his forehead and said, "You can do this." It felt like the touch of a mother, something he had never had before. 

You can do this. 

You can do this. 

Maybe he could do this... 

He let his eyes close, but he snapped them open when he felt the Force tugging. When he opened them, the General was gone.  

Finn could've cried when Leia disappeared, and he nearly did. He didn't want her to go away. He wanted her to help him. He didn't want to be alone. "Come back!" he cried. "Come back, please come back! I can't do this on my own! I don't know what I'm doing!" Finn cried out in frustration, balling his hands into fists, tears threatening to spill over his eyelids. "I don't know what I'm doing! I never know what I'm doing! Please help me!" The crescent moon of his nails dug into his palms and he wanted to throw himself to the ground and sob. But he was an adult. He was a grown man, even though it was hard to call himself grown when he hadn't really had a childhood to grow up during. Whatever he was, he wasn't going to give up. Poe believed in him, clearly. Leia believed in him. Rey believed in him! 

"That's the spirit." 

Finn flinched and wheeled around when he heard the voice, the same male voice he'd heard earlier. Whoever the mysterious man was, he was back. "You," he said. He'd been so focused he hadn't noticed the Force signaling someone arriving. He finally got a good look at the man. He seemed youthful, with wavy dark hair and soulful eyes. He was wearing the same dark cape or hooded robe that Finn had seen him in earlier when he fled. And... He was faintly blue all over. "Who are you? And why am I here?" The man shrugged slightly. "A father," he said. "My name isn't important. But yours is. You're Finn." Finn nodded firmly at that. "I noticed you when you picked up my lightsaber."  

His lightsaber. The weapon Finn had used in the forest must've been this man's. That would explain this man's obvious connection to the Force. He must be a Jedi, then. "You were the one yelling in the forest," Finn said, and the man nodded. "I was already there trying to save Ben. Then I saw you." A sad look came over the man's face, like Ben - who must be Kylo Ren - was someone he had lost. He'd seen the look in General Organa's eyes. "I tried to guide your hand, but even I can't do much like this but watch. You held your own for as long as you could." The mysterious man shook his head, sighing softly. "I commend you for that, really." He dipped his head slightly in Finn's direction and he felt a slight rush of pride.  

"If I couldn't help you then," the man said, "I'll help you now. I owe her that much. And you."  

Finn swallowed and nodded. "Okay," he said. "Okay, good. I got the feeling she wanted to tell me more. Apparently, I'm asleep and I need to use the Force to wake up." The man nodded like that made perfect sense to him. "Alright," he said slowly. "Alright. I think we can work with that. We just need to get you enough in tune with it that you'll be able to pull yourself out of your mind and into the real world again. There's a lot of Force there, but the Force is everywhere. Everything. There's a lot of it in you, too." Finn nodded slowly, his head still spinning madly. But all he said was "Okay." But there was something else that Leia had said... "She said she forged a connection," Finn said cautiously. "What kind of connection?" 

The man brightened up. "A connection!" he said. "A Force bond. I never had the privilege of..." The man shook his head. "I'm sorry. A Force bond! That'll make this a lot easier. You'll be able to connect with her through the Force now. See where she is, talk to her no matter how far apart you are. Of course, when you're more adept at using it. I doubt you'll make too much progress unconscious, but I think you can do it. You'll have enough." Finn swallowed and nodded again. "Good," he said, "because I really don't want to stay here forever." Finn shook his head a little, missing the man's slight smile. "Now, you need to teach me how to use it," he added it.  

"A Padawan," the man mused, another word Finn had never heard. "I've never had one of those, but I'm sure I could give it a try. I never thought I'd be a Jedi Master with a Padawan..." He nodded firmly once. "This will be difficult since I've never had a Force bond myself, but I'm sure the principle is the same. It'll be even easier if she's asleep to reach her." The man trailed off, thinking before he spoke again. "Close your eyes," he said. Finn obliged, but it didn't change much. The only difference was now he couldn't see the man. "Keep the closed," his voice said, and the Force pulled and shifted again as the man, the ghost or whatever he was, paced in a slow circle around Finn. "Close your eyes, and reach out. Not with your hands. Not with your conscious mind, but your unconscious one. Reach out with your feelings, my boy. Reach out with the fear you have. Your fear of the darkness. Your fear of the First Order. Reach out with your desire to run away from your own skin and everything they taught you to be. With your joy, Finn. How happy you were when you met Dameron, when he gave you a name. When he helped make you  _you._  When you found Rey on that ship. When you found yourself. Reach out with your pain and suffering and fear and joy and sadness and darkness and light and feel  _everything_."  

Finn's lips barely parted and felt something flutter just before him. It was the oddest feeling ever, but he could feel everything. And he couldn't just feel everything, he was everything. He could see every memory the man spoke of in his mind's eye as clear as the day it happened, feel every emotion bubbling up inside of him. The man's voice drew closer to Finn's ear. "You feel that? You feel everything, you feel the balance?" Finn nodded almost imperceptibly. "That's the Force, Finn. The Force is everything and surrounds everything. The Force binds us together. Now... What do you see?" Finn's breath caught in his throat, feeling high on feeling  _everything_. "Everything," Finn whispered. The man hummed softly. "No, not everything," he said. "Be more specific. Tell me what you see." 

Finn took another deep breath, reaching out just like the strange man had told him to. And he saw... A lot. Almost too much for him to handle and filter. But he saw  _everything_. "Myself," he said softly. "I see... Poe." He couldn't suppress the way the corner of his lips twitched at the name. Poe Dameron. "He's waiting for something. He's sitting alone in... In the med bay. Next to a bed. Waiting... And Leia. I see her, too. She's... She's at her desk. She's thinking about something. About Kylo Ren. About the Force. About me. And I'm not there but I can see her, I feel it!" He got excited again. He could see life and death and beauty and ugliness and joy and sorrow and  _balance._  Everything was balanced.  

"Good," the man whispered, his voice quiet right next to Finn's ear. "Now... Reach out to her through this. You can see Leia, so go to her." Finn nodded, again almost imperceptibly, not wanting to disturb this newfound peace he had with everything around him by moving too much. He found Leia in his everything and pulled himself closer to her. He felt something shift slightly inside him, and he opened his eyes. Nothing much had changed except for the fact he saw her. Just her. Even the strange blue man was gone. "General!" he called out. He reached towards her, trying to walk forward, but he felt like he was trudging through thick mud. He was getting nowhere. Despite the resistance, he took a few steps, and they were almost a few yards away, and he could almost touch her when she said his name and disappeared.  

When she had gone, however, the man had reappeared, again by Finn's side. "You couldn't reach her," he said, shaking his head slightly. Finn sighed, his shoulders slumping and his confidence draining. "I can't say I'm surprised," he mused. "As strong with the Force as you are, you didn't know you had it. You don't know enough yet. You were never going to be able to do it on the first try." Finn was still a little afraid, his shoulders hunched and his body turned slightly away from the man like he was ready to snap into a protective stance. He'd been hurt too many times for failing... But the man didn't reach out a hand to touch him.  

"Come on," he urged, "let's give it another go. Just like you did last time, reach for her again."  

Finn took a deep, slow breath, his eyes fluttering shut. Reach. Reach into the Force. In the chaos of everything, find order. Peace. Balance. He reached out again, but this time, he was pulled in another direction entirely. He let the Force take him where it willed, and when he opened his eyes this time, the figure was so faint he thought they might not be there. It looked a lot like Poe. Poe Dameron... "Poe!" Finn shouted. He couldn't believe Poe was here. Why was Poe here? Finn needed to talk to him. He needed to hug him again. He stumbled forward but the resistance preventing him from reaching Poe was so, so much greater than the one that tried to stop him from touching General Organa. "Poe!" he shouted again. "Poe, please..." Poe, never far in the distance, looked up for the briefest moment, locking eyes with Finn before they were jerked apart.  

It was another failed attempt, but Finn wasn't as scared this time. He couldn't be worried about his punishment because he'd seen Poe, somehow. "How did I do that?" he demanded of the strange man. "How did I see Poe?" The man shrugged, stepping closer. "The Force is like a river," he said. "Many different currents, many different tributaries. It is possible one of them leads to him." Finn nodded slowly. "Okay," he said. "Good. At least... At least I did something. I found him, I found General Organa. Maybe I can... Maybe I can do this." He swallowed hard again, nodding. "I just need to find General Organa. She said she could help me, but that I needed to be able to help her. To help myself. If I'm strong enough to find her again, touch her, maybe that means I'm strong enough to wake up." 

The strange smiled faintly at Finn. “That’s the spirit, kid,” he said. He moved to touch Finn, pat him on the shoulder. The touch sent a tingle through Finn’s body like a limb had fallen asleep from sitting on it too long but through his whole body. “Should we try again?” Finn suggested. The man hesitated and shook his head slightly. “No, not yet,” he said. “You just did a lot, kid. You need to keep some of your strength up.” Finn nodded slightly. “Alright,” he said. “Makes sense.” Finna hesitated then. “Are you going to… Are you gonna leave?” The man shook his head. “I don’t have anywhere else to be,” He said, and Finn couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t want to be alone.  

“It was easy for me to contact you here,” the man said. “You’re asleep. I don’t know how easy it’ll be to talk to you once you wake up.” It was disheartening thinking he might never see the man who had taught him the Force again, but he liked that the man seemed so confident that Finn really would wake up. “Okay,” he said. “Okay. Can I at least… In case you can’t find me again, or I can’t find you… What’s your name? And what are you?”  

The man hesitated and shrugged slightly. “My name isn’t important,” he said, looking a little shifty. “But as for what I am… I think you call them ghosts.” Finn would think that was weird if he hadn’t digested enough impossible information that day. Or days. Or weeks? He had no idea how long he’d been asleep. Time didn’t seem to pass in here. There was really nothing here by him and the man, in his mind he assumed. “Fair enough,” Finn said. The man arched an eyebrow. “That’s not odd to you?” Finn smiled faintly. “Not really,” he said. “It’s been that kind of day. Or few days. You escape the First Order, only to immediately go back to the First Order with your only two friends to rescue one of them, then you fight Kylo Ren with a lightsaber only to be defeated and then told you have the Force. I don’t think anything could surprise me.” 

The man laughed at that. “I like you,” he said. “I really do.” 

“But,” Finn continued, “I think your name is important. Names are very important.” Finn was very firm on that point. Names were always important. They were to him, at least. “So… What’s yours?” The man hesitated. “Well…” He trailed off, thinking for a few moments. “A long time ago… A long time ago, they used to call me Anakin.”  

Finn nodded firmly, satisfied. He had a name for the mysterious man who was keeping him sane in here. Anakin. “Do I have to call you Master Anakin?” Finn pressed. “If I’m your student, that is. I think I am at this point.” Anakin laughed and shook his head. “Oh, no,” he said. “That won’t be necessary.”  

“Good,” Finn said. He blew a breath out of his lips. What did you call me earlier?” Anakin thought for a moment as if remembering the conversation before he spoke again. “Palawan,” he said. “What’s that mean?” Finn asked. “Just a student,” Anakin finished. “It’s the name for a Jedi Master’s apprentice.” Finn’s lips twitched slightly. He could’ve never imagined this a few days prior. He was a Jedi’s apprentice. He wasn’t a Stormtrooper anymore! He was a Jedi. He had made a complete turn from who he was just a few days ago and he couldn’t be more happy about it. 

“Do I get a lightsaber?” he blurted after a few moments. Anakin laughed. “Perhaps,” He said. “All Jedi do. Your friend, Rey, I believe she has commandeered my old one. But once you wake up, provided you have someone to show you, you should be able to make your own.” 

The man – Anakin, Finn’s teacher – looked over at him, smiling faintly. Finn opened his mouth to ask another question. “Do you know General Organa?” he asked curiously. “You seemed to know her. You call her Leia. And you call Kylo Ren Ben. How do you know them?” Anakin’s face fell and a sadness came over him. Finn could tell he’s hit something, he just didn’t know what. The man definitely knew them. Finn had never heard anyone call Kylo Ren by that name. And hardly anyone used General Organa’s first name, either… So something had to be up. “It’s…” Anakin faltered. “It’s a terribly long story, really. I knew her a long time ago after I was Anakin. And I hurt her. I hurt her and I hurt her son. It’s a… Very complicated relationship.” Finn nodded slowly. “I’d say I understand,” he said, “but I’ve only had a real family for a few days. But what I do know is that it is complicated.”  

Anakin smiled faintly. “I suppose you’re right,” he said. “I’ve tried to right the wrongs I’ve done her, but I don’t even know if she knows it was me… I tried to save her son. I tried to save you.” Finn’s heart fluttered and tightened a little again. He was in the same category as the General’s son! “Why don’t you contact her?” Finn questioned. “If it was easy for you to find me, and she’s a lot stronger with the Force than I am, shouldn’t you be able to contact her?” Anakin hesitated again. “I’ve thought about it,” he admitted. “But I don’t think she’d want to see me at all.”  

“You never know unless you try,” Finn offered. Anakin smiled a little again. “I suppose you’re right, Finn,” he said. “I suppose I don’t.”  

Finn smiled proudly, happy that he’d helped the man who had already helped him so much.  

“Well, now that you know about me, I want to know about you,” Anakin presses slightly. Finn shook his head slightly. “I haven’t had much of a life,” he said truthfully. “There’s not a lot to tell.” 

“Ah,” Anakin said. “There’s not a lot means that there is, in fact, something there. So tell me.” Finn let out a soft sigh. “I’m a Stormtrooper,” he confessed. Anakin blinked in confusion. A trooper? Really, this boy? This boy who was already so kind and good, ready to give up his very life for someone he’d only known a few days? He couldn’t be one of the armies he’d helped craft… “But I ran away. Kylo Ren, he kidnapped Por and brought him to the base. I’ll admit, I mostly went to him because I wanted out and needed a pilot, but… We escaped together. And then he kidnapped my other friend, and we had to go rescue her. And then Kylo got me with his lightsaber. Then I met you and here we are.” Anakin shook his head slightly. “That sure is some story,” he said. Finn shrugged and flushed a little. He wasn’t used to receiving praise at all.  

He blinked before he opened his mouth to speak again, to tell Anakin it was really no big deal, but when he opened his eyes, General Organa was there instead. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw her. “General,” he said. “I’ve been trying.” He was filled with a desire to explain himself. If he pled his case, maybe she wouldn’t be angry with his failures. “I managed to get ahold of you, but I couldn’t hold it for very long. And I managed to get Poe, too.” He kept babbling, hoping she wouldn’t be angry that he’d found Poe instead, that he hadn’t been able to save himself yet.  

And then she told him it had been three weeks. Not three days, not three hours, but three whole weeks. Three weeks! “Three weeks?” he cried. “It feels like it’s been hours!” General Organa shook her head slightly, looking unsure. She wasn’t happy, and Finn could tell. “I don’t like that it’s been so long,” she said, and her next words put some of his anxieties at ease. She understood he was new and he wouldn’t be perfect. “You have to pull yourself out with me,” she said seriously, and Finn nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” he said.  

The corners of the General’s lips twitched slightly. “Leia,” she said. And Finn’s heart fluttered again. Leia wasn’t just a general. She was no distant Captain Phasma who had no name but her rank. She was Leia, a general, sure, but one who cared about him. One who knew his name and made sure he knew hers. He warmed again, glowing with pride when she complimented his abilities to reach both her and Poe at all. “Let’s do this,” Finn said, determined. They were going to do this. He couldn’t wait to wake up. He wanted so badly to tell her about the man who had trained him so far, about Anakin – her father! But he knew he ought to hold his tongue. He could tell her everything when he was properly woken up.  

She reached out to take his hand and Finn reached, too. She interlocked their fingers and squeezed, pulling him. He closed his eyes and reached up with the Force, felt everything, and locked onto Leia through their Force-Bond. Having anchored himself, he pulled. But it didn’t take long until he felt himself slipping. She was gone in a heartbeat. Finn huffed angrily again, crossing his arms and turning to Anakin.  

“It didn’t work,” he said. “I need to try again. She said I’ve been asleep for three weeks, Anakin. Three.” Anakin shook his head and sighed softly. “I figured it had been awhile,” he said, “but I’d hoped… No. We need to get you out of here, Finn.” Finn nodded empathetically. “Yeah, we do,” he agreed. “I very much want to wake up. I’m going to try to get ahold of one of them again…”  

Finn rolled his shoulders and popped his neck before he took a long, deep breath, his eyes fluttering shut. A feeling of love fluttered deep within his chest, filling him up completely. He searched the Force and locked onto the closest person he could reach. “Poe,” he whispered because of course he’d recognized the man instantly. It wasn’t that hard. “Poe!” he cried. He instantly started making his way through the inky blackness towards Poe Dameron, despite the resistance trying to hold him back. He held out his hand, still calling his name. But the more steps Finn took, the farther away Poe was until he disappeared completely from his sight. 

He opened his eyes, frowning again. “I found him,” he said. “He was closer this time. Closer, but I still couldn’t reach him…” Anakin nodded again. “That’s to be expected,” he explained. “He isn’t trained and your Force bond isn’t with him. It would be more difficult to attach to him than Leis. But don’t be discouraged. You have good friends, Finn, good family. And you’re strong, much stronger than I was when I was much older than you.” Finn dipped his head, blushing a little again. “If she contacts you again, you might be able to do it this time. Hopefully, she will. She likes you, I doubt she’ll let you go without a fight. That’s just Leia for you.”  

Finn nodded a little again. “Okay,” He said. “But if… If you can’t find me again, thank you. Thank you for helping me and keeping me from going crazy in here.” Anakin smiled again. “It’s been my pleasure,” he said seriously, and Finn got the impression that he meant it. 

Anakin put a hand on Finn’s shoulder, but he wasn’t hitting him like Finn was accustomed to being hit. It was a nice touch, a gentle, reassuring one. He was actually being kind to Finn. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, there was another pull in the Force. Anakin’s eyes widened slightly. He didn’t even have time to speak before his form flickered and disappeared.  

Finn’s heart tightened when he realized Anakin was gone, but he was filled with joy when he saw who really had come for him. Leia and Poe. Leia  _and_ Poe! “You’re here,” he said. They’d come for him. Leia and Poe had come for him. “Of course we’re here, buddy,” Poe said, and his smile was so dazzling that Finn couldn’t help but melt. He realized then how much he had missed Poe’s smile. How much he’d missed  _Poe_. Poe and Leia held out a hand, mirroring each other. Finn stepped forward, this time facing no resistance at all, and he took their hands. They were warm and solid and real, so real, and Finn saw light for the first time in evidently three weeks. Finn summoned everything he could, everything Anakin had taught him, and locked onto Poe and Leia.  

And this time when Leia pulled back, Poe was there, and Finn closed his eyes and heaved himself out. 

Finn was hesitant to open his eyes, but only for a beat. A few moments later, he opened them, and he did not regret his decision. Poe was there, and Leia was there – Anakin was not – and they were in the end bay and he wasn’t asleep! He wasn’t asleep anymore. He’d done it. He’d finally done it! Well, he hadn’t done it. They had done. He definitely couldn’t have done it alone. He tried to speak but was cut off before he could by Poe. “Finn!” he cried. Poe threw himself forward and held Finn as tightly as he good. Finn’s heart filled so much he was sure he was about to burst. Poe loved him. He’d never been hugged like this before. Finn buried his face in Poe’s chest, sniffling slightly. Poe was so warm and real and good and  _here._  He felt a slight pressure on his hand and squeezed back. Leia was there, too, but he couldn’t see anything but Poe’s chest. Truthfully, he wasn’t complaining. He felt so safe in Poe’s arms. “Finn, you’re alive,” Poe said breathlessly, and Finn couldn’t help but break into a smile. “Yeah, buddy,” he said, still smiling. “I’m alive.”  

Poe held him for a long time, a very, very long time.  Eventually, however, he had to let go. Finn didn't want him to let go at all because part of him - or most of him, really - was afraid that if he let go of the only real thing he'd ever held, the only real person, he'd fall asleep again. But when Poe let go, Finn didn't fall asleep. He did notice, though, that he was wearing a jacket. He wasn't really wearing it, it was just draped across his chest, but it was close enough for him. And it wasn't just any jacket. He wanted to thank Poe for fixing it - because it did look whole - but there was someone else he had to thank first. When Poe finally shifted his weight away from hugging Finn, he revealed Leia. She was standing there, looking casual like she hadn't just helped save Finn's life, and she was smiling. "Nice to see you again," she said, and Finn couldn't help but smile at that. "Thank you, Leia," he said finally, something he'd wanted to tell her since he met her and she didn't throw him off her base for being a Stormtrooper.  "I didn't... I didn't know who I was. What I could do. I wouldn't even have known I could've done it without you."

His mind reminded him of Anakin, too, but this was Leia's moment, and she certainly deserved all of the praise he could give her. She had helped him find who he was. Both of them had - Poe included. "You're very welcome," she said. Finn smiled again, his eyes drawn away from Leia to C-3PO who had shuffled into the room and was babbling. But Leia's next words made him think that for sure he'd misunderstood her because she had called him Mr. Organa. He wasn't Mr. Organa. He wasn't Mr. anything. He was Finn, just Finn. "Mr. Organa?" he said in confusion, and Poe and C-3PO joined him. Leia shrugged and smiled at him, mischief in her eyes, and her explanation made Finn's heart flutter happily in his chest, filled almost to bursting point. She wanted to give him her name. She wanted to make him her family. 

"That's great with me," he said seriously. That was absolutely perfect with him. 

It didn't take too long for one of the medics to shoo away Finn's visitors. It turned out comas were not as restful as one might think and Finn was tired quickly. Leia left first, squeezing Finn's hand and smiling warmly down at him. "I expect you up and about soon," she said. "I'll be there," Finn promised. She left him alone with Poe, sending a knowing look towards the pilot. Finn looked up at Poe when Leia had left, still smiling. He hadn't stopped smiling in awhile.

"Hey," he said softly. "Hey," Poe said. They smiled at each other like idiots for a few moments before Finn spoke again. "Thank you for fixing it," he said seriously. "Thank you so much." Poe waved his hand. "It's no problem," he said. "I wanted to do it." Finn ran his fingers over the fabric lightly, the article of clothing still draped across his lap. "This was the first thing I ever owned," he said. Poe's brow furrowed. "The first thing you ever owned?" he echoed, confused. "You never had anything before?" Finn shook his head slightly. "Nope," he said. "The armor and blasters we had as troopers belonged to the First Order. They could reassign it whenever they wanted to. Our sleeping spaces were reassigned, too. Nothing was ours. Except this." Poe sighed softly, taking Finn's hand and squeezing it gently. "I'm glad I could give this to you, then," he said. "Consider it your first present. And you deserve it."

"It's a lot more than just a jacket," Finn said seriously. "It's not just a jacket. It's... It makes me Finn. It helps me be Finn. Without it, before I met you, I was just... I was some Stormtrooper. I was a body in white armor. I was just a number. But then you gave me this - you, a person, an actual person. And that meant that someone cared enough about me to give me something. A lot of times, I think, people are made up of what they're surrounded. What they own. And this isn't just a jacket because it's the first thing I ever had. It means..." Finn shook his head, getting the feeling he was rambling, but Poe latched onto every single word he was saying. "It means I'm surrounded by good people and maybe I can be one of them. It means I'm a person, too." 

It was quiet for a very long time when Finn was done speaking. "I'm sorry," he said. "Was that too much? I'm sorry, I just..." He tapered off, flushing and looking down, still clutching at the jacket. "It means a lot to me," he said feebly. Poe shook his head empathetically. "No!" he said. "No, buddy, not at all. That was beautiful. I just didn't know it meant so much to you. I guess I've never wrestled with my... Personhood like you have. It was just a jacket to me, but I'm very, very happy it's more to you." Finn looked up, smiling sheepishly. "I never properly thanked you for my name," he added. "It's... That means a lot to me, too. All I had before I met you was a number. And I would've died with only a number if I hadn't met you." 

"If you hadn't rescued me," Poe teased. "I was a proper damsel in distress until you came along..." Finn blushed again, laughing at Poe's obvious happiness. "Here, buddy," Poe said, taking the jacket. Finn let his hands go slack, letting the jacket's fabric slide between his fingers. "Let me help you put it on before the medic kicks me out. I'm not sure my charm and dashing good looks could save me this time." Finn sat up slightly, wincing at the pain in his back, but he didn't mind it at all as Poe helped him slip into the jacket. He sat back on the bed, beaming, and Poe was grinning right back. "Still looks good on you," he said. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Finn's forehead before he winked and left the room. 

Finn was left behind wondering what Poe had just done. He'd never seen anyone do that before, but it couldn't be a bad thing. It was Poe. Poe wouldn't hurt him. The medic fussed around him for a moment or two despite assurances from the patient himself that he was fine. Eventually, she decided that he was and he could finally go to sleep. He had just settled down to sleep while still wearing the jacket when he heard another voice next to his bed. His eyes opened and he couldn't help but smile when he saw Anakin next to him. "Anakin," he said happily, if a little sleepily. "I didn't know if I'd see you again. I woke up." 

"I can see that," Anakin observed, looking a little amused. "You did it." 

"Yeah, but I couldn't have done it without you," he protested. "You taught me about the Force." Finn hesitated, still looking up at his master. "Will you stay and teach me more?" Finn wanted to learn. He wanted to be useful. Anakin hesitated at the question. "I'm not sure," he said honestly. "You already know quite a lot..." Finn exhaled softly. "But I don't know everything," he said. "I can never know everything. There's so much I don't know. I wasn't a real person until a few weeks ago! There's so much to learn, especially about the Force." Anakin shook his head slightly. "I'll try," he said. "Now go to sleep, Finn." Finn hummed slightly in acknowledgment. He really was tired. It had been a very long day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The things that will come up again later - Anakin is Finn's Jedi Master and Leia doesn't know yet. Finn doesn't even know he was Vader. I feel bad about the fact that I'm going to be constantly reordering the series but I don't have a solid plot decided on yet. I know the vague order things will happen, but when the urge to write something strikes you and it's a year down the road from where the first fic is... You just write it while you're motivated. Bear with me here. Hopefully this series will be a nice read. I'm hopefully going to be doing more Jedi Finn and more Anakin, and definitely a lot of Finn/Poe. Kes will probably be making a reappearance because in case you can't tell, I love him a lot. Mama Leia will definitely be present, too. So if you can stick with me here, I'll try and give you something good to read.

**Author's Note:**

> Drop ideas in the comments if you want to see something! Hope you're not too mad at me for butchering all of the Force stuff. I tried, really, I did.


End file.
